Do all rich people go to hell? Or do all poor people go to heaven? We live in a world where the chasm between "the haves and haves not" keeps growing wider and wider. Are we aware of this? Do we care? Do we see those who are in need? Are we willing to meet not only their physical but also their emotional and social needs? These are not easy questions, but for our own sake and others, we must ask them. Let's search for answers together.

Matthew 13:45-46, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”   

All those who choose to accept and live under the rule of Christ are part of the kingdom of God. The blessings of being in the kingdom of God are unequaled. Those who take hold of this treasure enjoy the blessing of complete forgiveness, fellowship with God, the gifts and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, ongoing transformation into the likeness of Jesus, a true purpose and meaning for life, and adoption into the family of God, etc...That is just the beginning. Find out more about the real treasure in life and how you can live your best life right now here on earth and beyond.

It might be tempting to think that the human race is basically good and just needs a tune-up. Eat healthy, exercise more, read some good self-help books, and maybe correct a few mistakes, and we are good to go! The only problem with that is it is a complete lie from Satan. The world is broken. People, on their own, are completely helpless to save them from themselves. We will look at parables that tell us that Jesus did not come to patch us up but to make us completely new. To start over. His teaching was radical. Let’s see what it means to be new wineskins!

“The Prodigal Son is one of the most popular parables of Jesus, perhaps because we all can find ourselves in the characters presented. This story powerfully illustrates God’s love and concern for the lost and his care of the saved. Come join us as we look into the mirrors of our own lives and come face to face with overwhelming love.”

Luke 11:9-11, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” God does hear, He does care, and He will respond. Is there a guarantee the response will be the one we desire? Nope. But, we can be assured his response will be according to His will.

We don’t love to be saved; we love because Christ saved us. We don’t love to get into the Kingdom of God; we love because it is the Kingdom of God's way of life. How do we love our neighbor as we love ourselves? How can we love others as God loves us?

Very few things grab and hold our attention like a story. “Apart from personal experience, stories are the quickest way to learning.” An effective teacher will work hard to find the right story to tell at the right time, because of the power it has to shape understanding. No teacher has ever used story better than Jesus. He told stories that entertained, shocked, mystified, and enlightened His listeners. Are you ready to hear the stories that can change everything?   Plant your seed in good soil. Where are you planting your life?

The Light, Jesus Christ, shining among us, in us, and through us is absolutely necessary to bring out the beauty of this diverse family. For this reason, it is so important to keep our focus on Jesus. It has been said that if you focus on Jesus you will get unity while a focus on anything else will inevitably end in division. It is not easy for we are so different - ethnicity, personality, income bracket, gender, marital status, education - but we must never forget that what we share in common is far more important than what we don’t.  

Here are the questions for the panelist that might interest you to ask your spouse, friend, family, or a group:  

(1) How old were you when you became a father? How did you feel when you found out you were going to be a father? What was one of the first big surprises or lessons you learned?  

(2) How would you describe your childhood relationship with your father? How did that relationship shape you as a father?   

(3) How has being a father impacted your relationship with God the Father?   

(4) Share a favorite story about one of your kids (talk about a time your son/daughter made you proud, surprised you, challenged you, taught you, brought joy to you, made you laugh, etc…)  

(5) Share some of your hopes for your kids? Have you had to let go of any of your hopes? What has that taught you?   

(6) What brings you the most joy as a father? What do you find to be the most challenging?  

(7) What is one thing you are really glad you did as a father?   

(8) If you could go back and do one thing differently, what would it be?  

(9) What advice would you give to someone who desires to be a better father?  (

10) How can the church help you as a father?  We would love to know some responses that you get

Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let ANY unwholesome talk come out of your mouths.” It is so important that we do not use unwholesome language! But, do you know who is hurt more than the unwholesome language? The Spirit of God living inside of us.

How does misusing the name of God hurt others? If we do not use God’s name with reverence it can lead others to believe that God is not one who needs to be taken seriously or who deserves to be honored; that He can be treated as common, ordinary, rather than set apart. How can we ensure that we do not misuse God's words and His name for our own sake?